THE LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION ALTERNATIVE EDUCATION STUDY GROUP REPORT

Transcription

1 THE LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION ALTERNATIVE EDUCATION STUDY GROUP REPORT OCTOBER 2017

2 TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY...3 INTRODUCTION...4 Case for Change...4 Consequences of Inaction...4 Alternative Education Study Group...4 PART ONE: OVERVIEW OF CURRENT PRACTICE IN ALTERNATIVE EDUCATION AND PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION...5 Alternative Education Student Profile...5 Transitional Process and Supports...5 Academic and Behavioral Interventions...5 Support Services And Career Readiness Opportunities...6 Data Reporting And Accountability...6 PART TWO: ALTERNATIVE EDUCATION CORE COMPONENTS...6 Climate and Culture...6 Collaboration...6 Counseling...6 Curriculum and Instruction...6 Eligibility and Placement...6 Parent-Guardian Engagement...6 Program Evaluation...6 Staffing and Professional Development...6 Student Assessment...6 Transitional Planning...6 PART THREE: CALL TO ACTION... 7 Guiding Principle 1: Effective alternative education services... 7 Guiding Principle 2: Transitional processes and supports... 7 Guiding Principle 3: Appropriate and effective interventions and supports... 7 Guiding Principle 4: Appropriate academic services and career readiness opportunities... 7 Guiding Principle 5: Effective teachers and staff with comprehensive training on academic, behavioral, social and emotional needs of student... 7 Guiding Principle 6: Consistent data collection... 7 Guiding Principle 7: Prioritization of referrals to alternative education services...8 Guiding Principle 8: Community partnership development...8 APPENDIX...9 Appendix 1 Study Group Members...10 Appendix 2 Site Visit List (February - September 2017) Appendix 3 Primary Reason Codes Used for Disciplinary Action Appendix 4 Discipline Incidents by Grade Level Grouping Appendix 5 Schools and Programs from Appendix 6 Alternative Site Student Profile by Subgroup...14 Appendix 7 Exit Outcome Data...14

3 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY In March 2017 the Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE) formed the Alternative Education Study Group to provide guidance for improving alternative education services and practices statewide for students who are most at-risk for not completing their education. The working group was charged with four tasks: 1. Conduct a strategic assessment of Louisiana s current alternative education practice and policy, compared to national best practice and policy; 2. Develop a state action plan to define effective alternative education and accountability measures; 3. Identify support services and programs available to alternative education students, teachers, and families; and 4. Develop partnerships to enhance and expand the effectiveness of alternative services. The study group (Appendix 1) convened four times between March 2017 and June Prior to the first meeting, and in order to inform the study group, the LDOE surveyed 231 alternative education principals and school counselors in February The LDOE also provided the study group with significant data on school and student performance. Finally, for basis of comparison, LDOE staff visited alternative education school and program campuses across 21 parishes/ school systems within Louisiana and several sites in Colorado and Texas during this process. (Appendix 2) The results of each of these analyses are included in this summary report. Having analyzed survey data, student performance, and national models, the Alternative Education Study Group reaches the following conclusions: 1. Students in Louisiana alternative education settings rarely receive academic, behavioral, social and emotional services needed to address the root cause of their exit from the home school. Gaps in the services provided often mean that students experience limited face-to-face teaching, a lack of appropriate technology, lack of career and technical options, limited academic counseling, a lack of specialilzed educator engagment and support, inconsistent transitional procedures upon entry or exit from the alternative school or program, a lack of clarity for students and parents on what to expect at the alternative site, and delays in the sharing of a student s record between the referring school and alternative site. Given these striking gaps in service, it should come as no surprise that students referred to an alternative school in Louisiana are five times more likely than their peers to drop out of school. 2. Many students are exited from home schools for minor to moderate infractions, resulting in both too many students in alternative settings and unfortunate racial and socioeconomic disparities. Approximately 88 percent of students at alternative sites in Louisiana are there for non-violent offenses including the catch-all category willful disobedience. Eighty-five percent of students in these settings are African-American, and 26 percent are students with disabilities. (Appendix 6) Home schools should build greater staff capacity to address minor to moderate behavior infractions at the home school through short term alternative education services, while long-term alternative services should be provided for only those students engaged in significant behavior infractions or students that opt in to an alternate education. 3. In order to be successful for students most in need of intensive and extensive alternative services, outisde of the home school, the services should emphasize individualized plans for every student, and such schools should be evaluated based on their ability to address the needs of this unique student population. In response to these conclusions, the Alternative Education Study Group developed Call to Action guidance (Part Three of this report) to facilitate a shift in statewide practice related to alternative education. This guidance calls on the state of Louisiana and local school systems to create a new model of alternative education that includes both short-term and long-term services. Short-term services would provide academic and behavioral remediation at the home school for moderate challenges, such as students that need intervention to avoid the risk of expulsion for behavior or truancy. Longterm services would be designed for students that need intensive and extensive resources to be successful. This model would require that educators be well-equipped to educate their students according to their behavioral, social and emotional needs. The model would also necessitate consistent data collection and evaluation of outcomes in ways appropriate for schools serving unique populations. Finally, the model would include robust transitional structures and community partnerships to ensure students requiring alternative education services receive the additional supports necessary as they progress toward a college or career pathway. The road to achieving such a model is long. But this report should underscore its importance and urgency. Too many young people in serious need of help are not receiving the services they need in Louisiana s alternative schools. The time to act is now. 3

4 INTRODUCTION CASE FOR CHANGE During the school year there were more than 60,000 out of school suspensions and expulsions for Preschool through 12 th grade students (Appendix 4). This number equated to more than 18,000 students enrolled in one of Louisiana s 35 alternative education schools or 127 alternative education programs (Appendix 5) because of a suspension or expulsion from a home school (both charters and public). An analysis of 2017 practitioner survey data and data collected from site visits to approximately 47 of the state s alternative schools and programs reveal these students are not receiving appropriate and effective interventions and supports to address the root cause of their exit from the home school. The majority of students assigned to an alternative education school or program are placed there because of a behavior infraction 58% of these students were suspended and another 23% were expelled. The top reason for discipline referrals is willful disobedience an infraction that does not have a uniform definition or application within the state. During the school year, 14% of out-ofschool suspensions and 10% of out-of-school expulsions were for willful disobedience. Students in alternative schools are nearly five times more likely to drop out of school compared with students in home schools. The average statewide dropout rate for 7th through 12th graders in alternative schools is 19%, while the average statewide dropout rate for all students in grades 7th through 12th is 4%. There are a disproportionate number of African- American students enrolled in alternative education, due to expulsion and suspension. African-American students are 3.25 times more likely to be expelled and 7.8 times more likely to be suspended, when compared to Caucasian students. African-American students account for 44% of the student population in the state, while Caucasian students account for 46%; however, African-American students account for 67% of the students suspended to alternative sites and 70% of the students expelled to the sites. In contrast, Caucasian students account for 27% of alternative site suspensions and 24% of the expulsions. Male students make up 51% of the state s total population, yet account for 66% of the student population in alternative schools and programs. While the state s students with disabilities population is 11%, the percentage of students with disabilities in an alternative school or program is 26%. Additionally, while the state s economically disadvantaged student population is 69%, 85% of alternative education students are classified as economically disadvantaged. These vulnerable populations must receive appropriate academic, behavioral, social and emotional supports to ensure the opportunity gap does not continue to persist, and that each student completes school college and career ready. Educators referring students to alternative services must also receive appropriate cultural awareness training to assist in remedying disproportionate referrals for certain student populations. CONSEQUENCES OF INACTION Maintaining current practice around behavior intervention will lead to sustained, if not higher, referrals to alternative sites, while the lack of effective services for academic, behavioral, social and emotional supports at the sites will continue to impede the success of students referred to the alternative education space (Appendix 4). During the school year there were 636 more students who dropped out of their alternative education school/program (1,144 total) than students who earned a diploma, HiSET, or certificate of completion (508 total). In, approximately 4% of the alternative education students earned a diploma, HiSET, or certificate of completion (Appendix 7). Existing practice must be transformed to provide evidence-based behavior and academic remediation, and positive educational outcomes for every student. ALTERNATIVE EDUCATION STUDY GROUP The study group was comprised of school system superintendents, school counselors, school system instruction supervisors, civic and religious leaders, principals, representatives from partner statewide agencies, and current alternative education school system staff. The study group met four times over the course of four months: March 14, 2017, April 18, 2017, May 16, 2017, and June 21, Members of this study group are included in Appendix 1. 4

5 PART ONE: OVERVIEW OF CURRENT PRACTICE IN ALTERNATIVE EDUCATION AND PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION ALTERNATIVE EDUCATION STUDENT PROFILE During the school year the majority of the more than 18,000 students suspended or expelled to an alternative school or program were referred for behavior that can and should be addressed at the home school. 80% of students suspended or expelled violated one of the following discipline infractions (full list in rank order of occurrence in Appendix 3): Willful disobedience Instigates/participates in fights Disturbs the school and violates rules Treats authority with disrespect Leaves school premises without permission Uses profane and/or obscene language Exhibits injurious conduct Unauthorized use of technology Is habitually tardy and/or absent Recidivism rates for both suspension and expulsion demonstrate that students sent to an alternate site are sent more than one time. For, alternative education students were expelled an average of 2 times and suspended an average of 2.4 times. This data trend is similar for previous years and is attributed in part to a lack of evidence-based behavior remediation for students at the alternative schools and programs. ALTERNATIVE EDUCATION DEMOGRAPHIC DATA for the school year indicates: 85% of the students are African-American; 11% are Caucasian; 3% are Hispanic; 85% of students in alternative schools are economically disadvantaged; 66% of the students in alternative education sites are male; 33% are female; 26% are students with disabilities; and 19% drop out of school. The data demonstrate that existing discipline practices across the state are disproportionately sending low-income, African-American male students, and students with disabilities to alternative sites. These students are being referred for lowlevel behavioral concerns or repetitive low to midlevel behaviors that have not been meaningfully remediated in the home school. Additional student profile demographic data is provided in Appendix 6. TRANSITIONAL PROCESS AND SUPPORTS Practitioner survey data collected in February 2017 and approximately 47 site visits conducted this year indicate that students referred to alternative education are not receiving transitional supports as they exit and/ or return to the home school. These students often have no formal transition meeting, guidance or orientation to the alternative site. There is confusion among both students and educators as to whether or not students are transitioning to a program or a school. During LDOE site visits, programs frequently referred to themselves as schools and were often housed in a separate school building. The lack of clarity between schools and programs was affirmed in the survey sent to alternative site educators who answered they did not understand the distinction between alternative schools and programs. Educators, parents and students deserve clarity in the structure and objectives of alternative education, as well as formalized transitional procedures to alternative services. ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL INTERVENTIONS Appropriate and effective interventions and supports are not being provided to remediate and address students underlying behavioral/social/emotional issues. The existing discipline reason codes and highlysubjective enrollment periods for student placement lack correlation to improvements in the student s foundational behavior or academic performance. Site visits revealed students suspended for improper dress, cell phone usage, and excessive tardiness. Many of these behaviors can and should be addressed at the home school, using evidence-based practices to promote effective behavioral interventions and identification of root causes of problematic behavior. This need is most acute for elementary children who may not have the ability to control factors such as time of arrival at school, improper dress or prevention of excessive absences all three of which are included in the top reasons students are referred to an alternative site (Appendix 3). In addition to a need for effective responses to academic and behavioral needs at school, there is a similar need for the establishment of partnerships with community providers to ensure students and families are receiving effective supports before, during, and/ or after school hours. The root causes of problematic behavior and poor academic performance can often be attributed to environmental factors for the student. Community partnerships can provide more extensive services for students struggling with negative environmental factors, such as trauma, homelessness, food insecurity, and neglect. 5

6 SUPPORT SERVICES AND CAREER READINESS OPPORTUNITIES Students at alternative education sites are not receiving academic services, including quality instruction or counseling, at a level that is equivalent to the home school. In, students spent an average of 20 days at an alternative site for suspension and 54 days for expulsion (Appendix 6). Students are often not able to keep pace with coursework at the alternate site or upon return to the home school due to lack of communication between the alternative education site and home school, lack of technology, and lack of faceto-face instruction for each subject. Many sites visited in the state did not employ social workers, counselors or similar support personnel on site. It was unclear what access students at these sites have to course guidance, pathway discussions or any other type of counseling. It was common to observe multiple grade levels in one room with limited direct instruction. The majority of classrooms observed used computer-based work or copies of work packets for students to complete independently. Similarly, students assigned to alternative education sites are often not permitted access to college and career readiness resources, such as Jump Start pathways that would culminate in student obtainment of an industry-based credential. DATA REPORTING AND ACCOUNTABILITY LDOE and school systems must provide appropriate levels of accountability for alternative education services. School systems must be required to report all data related to students receiving alternative education services, including, but not limited to, discipline data, outcomes (Diploma/HiSET obtainment, credits earned, etc), amount of time receiving alternative services and recidivism rates. LDOE must establish quality indicators of effective alternative education services and accountability measures that are appropriate to evaluate provision of these quality indicators. This level of data reporting and accountability will ensure effective services are leading to positive student outcomes. PART TWO: ALTERNATIVE EDUCATION CORE COMPONENTS The Alternative Education Study Group identified ten core components deemed foundational to achieve successful and effective alternative services. Each component includes the overall goal, outcomes and desired practices for school systems alternative services to achieve the stated goal. For the purposes of this report, only the goal for each component is included. Climate and Culture - Establish a climate and culture that support students to develop tools and strategies to further their academic, social, and behavioral growth. Collaboration - Establish and maintain formalized relationships with community organizations to provide comprehensive services, short and long term, for student s behavioral, social and emotional needs. Counseling - Offer extensive counseling services to address the behavioral, social, emotional, academic and career needs of students with an emphasis on holistic care to enable student success and growth. Curriculum and Instruction - Provide curriculum and instruction that are rigorous and inclusive, individualized to meet the needs of all learners, support second language learners and students with disabilities and address the same readiness outcomes as home schools. Eligibility and Placement - Educate students who experience difficulty succeeding in school due to extensive academic, behavioral, social, or emotional need or students who self-select an alternate learning environment. Parent-Guardian Engagement - Actively recruit and foster parental/guardian involvement in the planning and execution of academic, career, social, and emotional supports for students. Program Evaluation - Be held responsible for academic performance and other outcomes through a model of accountability that includes performance metrics specific to alternative services, clearly communicated performance standards, and consequences and interventions where standards are not met. Staffing and Professional Development - Employ and retain effective teachers and staff with specialized training to address the comprehensive academic, behavioral, social and emotional needs of the students receiving services. Student Assessment - Engage in robust assessment of a student as they transition to alternative education services. Information garnered from the assessments should be utilized to create an individualized action plan for the student receiving alternative education services. Transitional Support - Ensure school systems create a consistent and thorough transition process and supports that encourage students to maximize the time spent receiving alternative education services and that leads to a successful transition out of services or on to post-secondary education or the workforce. 6

7 PART THREE: CALL TO ACTION The study group was tasked with investigating and suggesting changes in practice that would achieve successful and effective alternative services in Louisiana. In fulfillment of that charge, the study group has developed guiding principles for consideration by LDOE and BESE: GUIDING PRINCIPLE 1: Alternative 1 education service providers, either the school system or third-party providers, should place an emphasis on services. Alternative education providers, either the school system or third-party providers, should utilize a services model with an emphasis on individualized plans for student success. Services can be short term or longer term, dependent upon the level of need demonstrated by the student. The cornerstone of both is provision of targeted services, focused on students academic, social, emotional, and behavioral success. GUIDING PRINCIPLE 2: The school 2 system should establish and maintain a process for providing alternative education services to include a comprehensive transition procedure and standardized transitional plans for students entering and exiting services. The local school system should have standardized transition plans which enable quick and consistent communication that facilitates provision of comprehensive student records, behavioral misconduct history, previous academic assessments and any other academic, behavioral, social or emotional factors that are influencing a student s referral to the short or long term alternative services administrators. GUIDING PRINCIPLE 3: The school system 3 should ensure students transitioned for alternative education services are assessed at the onset and receive documented identification of appropriate and effective interventions and supports to address the root cause of their need for alternative services. The transition process should include an assessment, administered by the alternative education service provider, at the onset of a student receiving alternate education services. This could include a behavioral and/or academic assessment, interviews with parents/guardians, and a review of the student s complete academic record. The objective is to garner information that accurately gauges the student s needs and motivations so that an individualized success plan can be created for each student. GUIDING PRINCIPLE 4: The school 4 system should ensure students receive access to equitable academic services and career readiness opportunities. Students receiving alternative education services should be provided academic services that ensure access to standards-based academic content delivered using an individualized educational approach. Similarly, students should have access to career and technical education opportunities and pathways available in the school system. Students should be counseled on all diploma pathways and supported in pursuing the graduation plan optimal for their unique circumstances. GUIDING PRINCIPLE 5: The Louisiana 5 Department of Education (LDOE) should support alternative education service providers teachers, principals, and school system leaders with high-quality professional development and educational resources to address the comprehensive academic, behavioral, social and emotional needs of the students. The LDOE should provide professional development opportunities for service providers supporting alternative education and review curricular resources and tier them by quality to provide guidance to school systems on evidence-based programs for credit recovery, engaging instructional methods, behavior modification, classroom management, traumainformed response, and social-emotional support. GUIDING PRINCIPLE 6: The school 6 system should maintain and report to LDOE consistent data collection, necessary to effectively measure student growth both academically and behaviorally, and to monitor school systems provision of high-quality education. The LDOE should establish a model of accountability, including data and indicators, that are specific to the unique population and needs of students receiving alternative education services. Performance standards and expectations for alternative services should be clearly communicated and monitored on an annual basis. 7

8 GUIDING PRINCIPLE 7: The school system should ensure that all schools prioritize referrals to 7 providers of intensive and extended alternative education services for students who habitually experience difficulty succeeding in the home school due to extensive academic, behavioral, social or emotional needs or for students who self-select attendance in an alternate learning environment. Too many students are currently sent to alternative education sites for behaviors that can and should be addressed through interventions in the home school. School systems should utilize evidence-based practices, such as multitiers of support, positive behavioral supports, response to intervention, restorative justice, etc. to more effectively provide early intervention, remediation and support services to students identified as demonstrating habitual problematic behaviors or consistently low academic performance. It is incumbent upon the school system to establish a behavior intervention policy that requires a demonstration to exhaust all response and support options prior to the student s referral for intensive and extended alternative education services. 8 GUIDING PRINCIPLE 8: The school system should establish and maintain partnerships and alliances with key stakeholders that are critical for enhanced services provided to alternative education students and families. The majority of students in alternative education schools and programs are considered at-risk students in need of comprehensive academic, behavioral, social and emotional resources and supports. To properly meet these needs, the school system providing alternative education services must partner with organizations to ensure the critical resources necessary for success are provided to the students and their families within the school and/or home and for the alternative educators who are responsible for providing a high-quality education. Community partners can ideally provide counseling, mental health assistance, health care, food resources, and other necessary services to ensure students have appropriate supports to be successful, safe and healthy. The LDOE should review community partners and tier them by quality to provide guidance to school systems on effective and high quality partner options. APPENDIX 8

9 APPENDIX 1 STUDY GROUP MEMBERS APPOINTEE Jennifer Baird COL Michael Borrel Paul Carlsen Jeff Casey Jennifer Coco TITLE & STAKEHOLDER ORGANIZATION LDOE Assessment and Accountability LA National Guard Youth Challenge Director, Educational Programs Executive Director, Louisiana Community and Technical College System (LCTCS) WorkReady U Services YMCA Group, Executive Director Southern Poverty Law Center, Senior Staff Dr. Scott Crain Louisiana Association of School Executives, President Dr. David Domenici Center for Educational Excellence in Alternative Settings, Executive Director Denise Durel United Way of Southwest LA, President/CEO Kacy Edwards Career Compass, Co-Founder and Co-Executive Director Alisha Ferrington Bolton High School, JAG-LA Specialist Mary Garton Orleans Parish School System, Chief Portfolio Officer Kevin George St. John School System, Superintendent Judge Ernestine S. Gray Louisiana Juvenile Court Judge Laura Hawkins Recovery School District Tamara Johnson East Baton Rouge School Board, Central Office Sherwanda Johnson Greenville Superintendent s Academy (EBR School System), Principal Cheramie Kerth St. Bernard Parish School System, SPED Supervisor Amanda Kruger-Hill Cowen Institute Tulane University, Executive Director Latrese LeCour LA Department of Child and Family Services Dr. Shelia Lockett Caddo Parish School System, Special Education Director Mary Lumetta Supervisor of Instruction (Secondary) St. Bernard Dr. Resehelle Marino LA School Counseling Association, President Erika McConduit Urban League of Greater New Orleans, President/CEO Kim Mims Director of Education, Office of Juvenile Justice Bryan Moore LA Workforce Commission, Director Office of Workforce Development Elizabeth Ostberg The Net High School, Executive Director and Principal Representative Ed Price Education Committee, Vice Chair. Represents Ascension, Iberville and St. James Jody Purvis Livingston Parish School System, Supervisor of Instruction Scott Richard LA School Board Association, Executive Director Caroline Roemer LA Association of Public Charter Schools, Executive Director Robert Schlicher New Iberia Senior High School, Assistant Principal Jim Shorter Lafourche Parish School District s Pupil Appraisal Center (PAC) Psychologist and Manager Rev. James Smith Delta Work Ready Academy (DRA), Director Raye Nell Spillman LCTCS WorkReady U Services, Director Richard Strong West Carroll School System, Superintendent Dr. Lynette Tannis Harvard University, Adjunct Lecturer and Mutual Accountability Commission Member Roxson Welch Family and Youth Services Center, Director Jill Zimmerman LDOE Assessment and Accountability 9

10 APPENDIX 2 - SITE VISIT LIST (FEBRUARY - SEPTEMBER 2017) Name School or Program LEA A.P.P.L.e Digital Academy Alternative Learning Program Program Ascension Johnny Gray Jones Youth Shelter and Detention Center School Bossier Butler Education Complex Program Bossier Caddo Virtual Academy Program Caddo Pathways in Education Program Caddo AmiKIDS Caddo School Caddo Mooretown School Caddo Ombudsman Academy School Caddo Alexander Learning Center School Caddo Sherrouse School School City of Monroe Concordia Education Center Program Concordia DeSoto Parish Center for Student Improvement School DeSoto Arlington Preparatory Academy School East Baton Rouge EBR Discipline Center (2 locations) Program East Baton Rouge Greenville Alternative at Beechwood School East Baton Rouge Greenville Superintendent s Academy School East Baton Rouge Ryan Detention Center N/A East Baton Rouge Alternative Center for Education Program Iberia Youth Challenge Center - Carville Program Iberville N.P. Moss Preparatory Academy School Lafayette Howard School School Lincoln Christian Acres School School Madison Madison Parish Alternative Center Program Madison Riverside Alternative High School (OJJ School) School Office of Juvenile Justice (OJJ) Travis Hill Youth Study Center School Orleans Ouachita Alternative Education Program Program Ouachita Rapides Alternative Positive Program for Students Program Rapdies Ware Youth Center School Red River Ware Youth Center Detention Center N/A Red River Springville Educational Center Program Red River Crocker College Prep School Recovery School District (RSD) JCFA School RSD The NET- Charter School RSD C.F. Rowley Alternative School School St. Bernard Goals Program of Chalmette High School Program St. Bernard In House GED Program Program St. Bernard Alternative Center for Grads 7-12 Program St. James Lutcher Elementary School Program St. James Berwick Junior High School St. Mary Morgan City Judge s Youth Center N/A St. Mary Morgan City High School School St. Mary St. Mary Parish Alternative Program Program St. Mary Village Fair Alternative Center School Dallas, Texas Douglas County Support Center Program Parker, Colorado Endeavor Academy School Centennial, Colorado Colorado s Finest School Englewood, Colorado Juvenile Assessment Center N/A Centennial, Colorado 10

11 APPENDIX 3 PRIMARY REASON CODES USED FOR DISCIPLINARY ACTION Primary Reason Description In School Suspension Total Out of School Suspension Total In School Expulsion Total Out of School Expulsion Total Willful Disobedience Instigates/Participates in Fights Disturbs The School and Violates Rules Treats Authority with Disrespect Leaves Schl Premises Without Permission Uses Profane and/or Obscene Language Exhibits Injurious Conduct Unauthorized Use of Technology Is Habitually Tardy and/or Absent Failure to Serve Assigned Consequence Commits Any Other Serious Offense Exhibits Immoral or Vicious Practices Takes Other s Property w/out Permission Improper Dress Uses/Possesses Tobacco and/or Lighter Assault and Battery Uses/Possesses Dangerous Substances Cuts/Defaces/Injures/Vandalizes School Throws Missiles Liable to Injure Others Profane, Obscene Language or Notes Firearms Not Prohib or Knives >=2 1/2 In Forgery Obscene Behavior or Possession of Obscene Bullying Trespassing Violation Sexual Harassment Unfounded Charge Against Authority Misusing Internet Academic Dishonesty Uses/Possesses Alcoholic Beverages Possesses Blade Less Than 2 1/2 Inches Violates Traffic and Safety Regulations Gambling Public Indecency Possesses Weapon(S) Prohib by Fed Law Use of Meds in an Unauthorized Manner Cyberbullying False Alarm/Bomb Threat Burglary Criminal Damage to Property Missappropiation w Violence to Person Serious Bodily Injury False Reports Arson Rape and Sexual Battery Illegal Carrying & Discharge of Weapons Possession of Body Armor Murder Kidnapping *Ranking based on total number of reason code incidents resulting in suspension/expulsion. Rank 11

12 APPENDIX 4 DISCIPLINE INCIDENTS BY GRADE LEVEL GROUPING Grade State Cumulative Enrollment In School Suspension Total Out of School Suspension Total In School Expulsion Total Out of School Expulsion Total Number Rate Number Rate Number Rate Number Rate K-5 346,953 14, % 16, % % % ,444 25, % 22, % 1, % % ,296 33, % 23, % 2, % % Grade State Cumulative Enrollment In School Suspension Total Out of School Suspension Total In School Expulsion Total Out of School Expulsion Total Number Rate Number Rate Number Rate Number Rate K-5 344,076 13, % 15, % % % ,871 25, % 21, % 1, % % ,511 33, % 27, % 1, % % *All numbers represent the total number of incidents for each category involving the grade level grouping. APPENDIX 5 SCHOOLS AND PROGRAMS FROM

13 APPENDIX 6 ALTERNATIVE SITE STUDENT PROFILE BY SUBGROUP Discipline Discipline Total count of students enrolled at alternative sites due to SUSPENSIONS 13,590 13,940 Total count of students enrolled at alternative sites due to EXPULSIONS 4,140 4,439 Race Gender Racial Group Statewide Statewide African-American 70% 44.4% 84.50% 44.2% Caucasian 25% 46.2% 10.80% 45.5% Hispanic 1.70% 5.5% 2.90% 5.9% Multiple Races 1.10% 1.7% 1.10% 2.0% Asian.20% 1.5%.40% 1.5% Native American.50% 0.7%.20% 0.7% Gender Statewide Statewide Female 32% 48.6% 33% 48.7% Male 67% 51.4% 66% 51.3% 504 and Students with Disabilities Statewide Statewide % 4.9% 11% 5.4% Students with Disabilities 25% 11.5% 26% 11.7% Economically Disadvantaged Statewide 69% Alternative Sites 85% Average Number of Days at Alternative Site Discipline Action Suspension Expulsion APPENDIX 7 EXIT OUTCOME DATA Exit Outcome Diploma HiSET Certificate of Completion Exiting Program/Dropouts 1, Average Credits Earned by Student while at Alternative Site